They’re shutting it down.
The popular beer bar The Rake, along with its neighboring malthouse Admiral Maltings, will close this month after nine years of operation, due to ongoing financial issues.
Admiral Maltings halted production on October 2, and The Rake will officially close on October 18. This marks yet another setback in California’s struggling craft beer sector, which has encountered substantial challenges in 2026.
“It’s unfortunate, and we really wish it didn’t have to end this way. We’ve poured our hearts into this,” The Rake expressed in a late September Instagram message. “We’ve cherished building relationships with California farmers, breweries, and distilleries, and we’ve enjoyed the journey of reviving the art of floor malting.”
The post went on to say, “Despite our extensive efforts, we just couldn’t make the economics of malt production work. We’ve reached out to many industry colleagues over these past couple of years in hopes of sustaining Admiral Maltings, but we simply don’t have the resources to continue.”
Situated on the site of the former Alameda Naval Air Station, The Rake had earned a reputation for offering a diverse selection of beers crafted from malt produced at Admiral Maltings, which reopened California’s first craft malting facility since Prohibition back in 2017.
The closure aligns with a broader trend where many craft beer businesses have been shutting their doors in recent years.
A total of 481 craft breweries shut down across the country in 2025, whereas only about 300 new ones opened, according to a report from April 2026 by the Brewer’s Association. Since 2024, the number of taprooms has dropped by 2.7%, and microbreweries have seen a decline of 4.4%.
Nationwide beer sales have decreased as well; the U.S. beer market saw a 3% drop, falling from $116.8 billion to $113.1 billion in 2025.
Production began to decline in 2022, and this downward trend has persisted. The Brewers Association attributes some of this decline to the rising popularity of non-alcoholic products and THC-infused drinks. Additionally, they noted that high inflation has pushed up production costs for breweries, leading to increased prices for consumers.
In August, Stone Brewing—one of Southern California’s largest breweries—closed three facilities in Escondido, resulting in nearly 300 job losses. The company plans to consolidate operations in San Luis Obispo and Kansas City.
Also, MacLeod Ale Brewing Co., a well-loved brewery in Van Nuys, closed after 12 years in operation, following the recent shutdown of Electric Brewery in Murrieta and Rock Brewery in Berkeley.
